Racing boots for horses



June 4, 1968 R. M. H. CODE ET AL 3,386,226

RACING BOOTS FOR HORSES Original Filed May 19, 1964 Nl N TORS RHET4 M. H. can. JOSEPH B. L/NDECKER.

United States Patent 4 Claims. at. 54-82 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A scalper-type boot for preventing injury to the legs of racing horses. These boots are made principally of flexible latex material molded in one piece, comprising a latex body portion embodying an upper section and a lower section, and having a latex heel strap integrally connected to the side edges of the lower section of the body portion. The said 'body portion of the boot having a flexible inner wall surface and an outer wall surface made by the latex. The body portion having embedded solely between its inner and outer wall surfaces thereof a dense lining of short nylon or rayon fibers individually movable apart from each other when the latex wall surfaces are stretched. The upper portion having a peripheral top and side edge portions consisting solely of latex material so they will cling tightly in the area of the fetlock joint. The strap consisting solely of latex material so it will cling tightly to the lower hoof area of the foot. This scalpertype boot is made to be interchangeable, same design and suitable to fit the right rear hoof or left rear hoof.

This invention is a division of application Ser. No. 496,220, filed Sept. 13, 1965, which in turn is a division of application Ser. No. 368,677, filed May 19, 1964.

The object of our invention is to provide simple, durable, light-weight devices of inexpensive construction which may be easily and quickly applied to racing horses feet.

A further object of our invention is to provide an improved boot, having the main body portions thereof formed of rubber and embodying internal reinforcement means and to fit snugly around the feet and hoof of a racing horse with its outer surface smooth and free of obstructions.

A further object is to provide a scalper-type boot made essentially of rubber and including novel nylon or rayon reinforcing means embodied therein, os use on either hind foot of a racing horse.

A further object is to provide protective type boots for racing horses made essentially of formed rubber portions and including novel reinforcing means such as nylon embedded or embodied therein, the synthetic reinforcing means being of proteinlike structure which is adapted for fashioning into filaments of extreme toughness, strength, and elasticity.

Other objects and advantages reside in the particular structure of the invention and of the various parts thereof together with the novel combinations and sub-combinations as will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to the attached drawing in connection with the following specification, wherein the invention is shown, described and claimed.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of our improved high scalper boot, the high reinforcing member shown by dotted lines;

3,386,226 Patented June 4, 1968 FIGURE 2 is a rear elevation of the high scalper boot shown by FIG. 1;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation of the high scalper boot shown by FIGURES 1 and 2;

FIGURE 4 is a front elevation of our improved high scalper boot, a low reinforcing member being shown by dotted lines;

FIGURE 5 is a front elevation of our low scalper boot with a high reinforcing member embodied therein;

FIGURE 6 is a side elevation of the low scalper boot shown by FIG. 5;

FIGURE 7 is a side elevation of the low type scalper boot with a low type reinforcing member embodied there- FIGURE 8 is a side elevation of a trotte-r type horse with our high scalpers attached to the hoofs of the hind legs thereof.

The invention has been developed to provide an improved device for protecting racing horses feet against injuries. Devices of this nature are well known in the art. However, it is one of the prize purposes of this invention to provide an improved racing boot, such as a scalper-type boot with synthetic reinforceing means, or the like, increasing the wearability of the boots by use of said reinforcing means. It is most desirable to make the scalper boots interchangeable by embodiment of similar design, the right boot being the same as the left boot in configuration.

The main function of the boots, of course, is to protect the leg areas, especially the lower leg areas, such as the fetlocks, pasterns and quarters, against injuries which might occur as a result of blows to the lower leg areas by a shod hoof of another leg, the accident of interfering in kicking, or throwing a shoe. Racing horses alway wear sharp racing shoes of exactly the right weight and shape for each horse. These sharp shoes cause injury more quickly than a plain unshod hoof, and they cut the boots quicker than a plain unshod hoof.

The most common injuries requiring the protection of boots are those caused by brushing when the inside of the leg, usually on or in the region of the fetlock joints, is knocked by the opposite shod foot, or by over-reaching when the hind toes strike into the rear of the foreleg. Also the shins of either the fore or hind legs may be endangered as a result of over-reaching.

For horses such as racing h'orces, our light weight reinforced boots, and scalper boots will give the very necessary protection to the lower leg region both during the long training period and when actually participating in a race without the danger of being ripped off, or ripped beyond protection during workouts, or final races,

The greatest need for boots because of the dangerous form of over-reach which strikes the front hairline of the back foot, or the area of the fetlock joint and causes permanent damage to the tendon of the leg, is in harness racing. Gracefully gaited horses pulling delicately fashioned sulkies in close-quarters competition make a charming spectacle, but one does not always not that a horse is brushed one or twice in a race to get a good burst of speed each time, or can be whipped or run into 'by an unscrupulous driver of another horse, or run into by another close horse by accident, and this often causes overreaching and resulting in permanent damage to the horse.

The trotting race is a popular form of harness racing which draws over 15 million people a year, and the trotting horse must be protected from injuries by using boots, and the like. Trotters often require bell boots on the front feet and scalpers on the hind feet because these horses lift their feet in a kitty-cornered manner and put them down almost together; they sometimes clip the left hind hoof with a sharp shoe against the right front foot when running. The scalper-type boots take the gafi instead of ripping the foot, the front hairline of the back foot or the back quarter of the front foot. The timing of front and rear opposite feet must be put down split seconds apart to save injury, and prevent accidents. Many things can break this natural rhythmic timing of the trotters feet when racing, such as slipping on a slippery muddy track.

Show horses and saddle horses often wear quarter boots on the front feet thereof to prevent bruises and cuts in an area which is sensitive and diflicult to heel. The hooves of show horses may be surprisingly long and need a longer shoe; this shoe often interferes with their other feet, thus requiring the use of boots to prevent injuries. However, racing horses are in greater need of requiring reinforced boots since racing horses are subjected to more serious injuries.

Referring specifically to the drawing, wherein like reference characters have been used throughout the several views to designate like parts, reference is first made primarily to FIGURES 1 through 8 wherein a scalper type boot is shown. The horses hoof 16, as shown by FIG. 8, has a shoe 17 applied thereto. The fetlock 18 and ankle 19 are shown above the hoof in FIGURE 8, and the pastern 23 is shown below the fetlock 18.

Referring to FIGURES 1 through 8, the scalper-type boot is shown with high and low reinforcing members embedded within the body wall thereof. The usual scalpers now in use have a front body portion with one side area thereof smaller than the other side area; one fits the hind left foot and the other the hind right foot. They are not interchangeable and one must buy a pair if only one boot is ripped or cut by a sharp shoe. Our invention relates to a reinforced scalper which is interchangeable. The scalper shown by FIGURES 1 through 8 relates to a high scalper 80 with a front wall 81 with high wing portion 82 with a reinforcing member 83 molded within the front wall 81, and having a strop member 85 integrally connected to the opposite side edges of wall 81. The re inforcing member 83 has a curved top edge 86 which extends upwardly and embedded in the high wing portion 82 and is composed of rayon, or nylon fibers as described above in column 1, giving longer wear to the boot and preventing rips or cuts to extend through the front wall and destroying the same.

The scalper type boot 88 shown by FIGURE 4 is a high latex boot with a low reinforcing member 89 molded between the front and rear surfaces of the front wall 90, said reinforcing member 89 having parallel top and bottom horizontal edge portions 91 and 92.

The scalper 93 shown by FIGURES and 6 are known as low-type scalpers with relatively high reinforcing member 94 and integral strap member 95.

The scalper 96 shown by FIGURE 7 is known as a low scalper with a low reinforcing member 97 embodied within the lower portion of the front wall thereof, said member 97 having a straight horizontal top edge portion substantially parallel with the bottom edge portion thereof.

Referring to FIGURE 8, a horse is shown with high scalpers 80 applied to the hind feet thereof.

Although we have described our invention with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of example, and that changes in details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention here presented.

Having thus described this invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A unitary scalper-type boot for horses comprising a central body portion and a strap integrally formed therewith and both made of flexible latex material, said central body portion having an upper section with a laterally depending convex top edge portion and a lower section with a laterally straight bottom edge portion to form a guard for the front area of the rear foot of a horse, the said upper convex edge portion of the said upper section curved downwardly to provide side portions thereof to encircle the side area of the foot, said strap projecting laterally from the two integral lower side portions of the lower section forming a circular bottom opening for the said boot, a plurality of dense flexible reinforcing members embedded within the wall of said lower section between the front and rear wall surfaces thereof, said dense reinforcing members consisting of short synthetic fibers individually movable when the wall of said lower section is stretched, said upper section having a peripheral wall area juxtaposed its convex top and depending side edge portions, said peripheral wall area and said strap composed solely of flexible latex material free of reinforcing members, said strap to proivde means to resiliently secure the said central body portion of the boot firmly to the foot of the horse.

2. The unitary scalper-type boot according to claim 1 wherein said dense flexible reinforcing members consist of short rayon fibers.

3. The unitary scalper-type boot according to claim 1 wherein said dense flexible reinforcing members consist of short nylon fibers.

4. A unitary scalper-type boot for horses comprising a central body portion and a strap integrally formed therewith, said body portion and said strap both made of flexible latex material, said central body portion having an upper section with a laterally depending convex top edge portion and a lower section wtih a laterally straight bottom edge portion forming a guard means for the front area of the rear foot of a horse, the said upper convex edge portion of the said upper section curved downwardly to provide side portions thereof encircling the side area of the foot, said strap projecting laterally from the two integral lower side portions of the lower section forming a circular bottom opening for the said boot, a plurality of dense flexible reinforcing members embedded within the wall of said lower section between the front and rear wall surfaces thereof, said dense reinforcing members consisting of short synthetic fibers individually movable when the wall of the said lower section is stretched, said dense flexible reinforcing members forming a substantially single body means, the lateral lower edge of said body means being laterally straight and in close proximity with the lateral straight lower edge of said central body portion and the lateral top edge of said body means being laterally straight and substantially parallel with its lateral lower edge, said upper section having a peripheral wall area juxtaposed its convex top and depending side edge portions, said peripheral wall area and said straps c0mposed solely of flexible latex material free of reinforcing members, said strap providing resilient means for securing the central body portion firmly to the foot of a horse.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 336,105 2/1886 Golden 54-82 482,041 9/1892. Hurd 54-82 2,707,281 5/1955 Barth 2-42 3,119,219 3/1964 Cohen 54-82 HUGH R. CHAMBLEE, Primary Examiner. 

